Method and device of data synchronization and data collection for aerial vehicle and aerial vehicle

Abstract

A method for synchronizing data collected by one or more sensors of an aerial vehicle includes: generating, by a controller of the aerial vehicle, one or more time stamps each representing a clock time of the controller; sending instruction information to one or more sensors external to the aerial vehicle; receiving a plurality of data packets returned from the one or more external sensors corresponding to a number of first clock times; obtaining data collected by a built-in sensor at a number of second clock times; and analyzing, according to the data packets returned by the external sensors and the data collected by the built-in sensor, a flight state of the aerial vehicle. The instruction information carries the one or more time stamps and directs the one or more external sensors to perform data collection. Each second clock time is the same as a corresponding first clock time.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for synchronizing data collected by one or more sensors of an aerial vehicle, comprising:
 generating, by a controller of the aerial vehicle, one or more time stamps each representing a clock time of the controller; 
 sending instruction information to one or more sensors external to the aerial vehicle, the instruction information carrying the one or more time stamps and directing the one or more external sensors to perform data collection, wherein a clock of the one or more external sensors is not synchronized with a clock of the controller; 
 receiving a plurality of data packets returned from the one or more external sensors corresponding to a number of first clock times, wherein each of the plurality of data packets carries one of the one or more time stamps and includes data collected at each of the number of first clock times by one of the one or more external sensors in response to the instruction information; 
 obtaining data collected by a built-in sensor of the aerial vehicle at a number of second clock times, wherein each second clock time is the same as a corresponding first clock time; and 
 analyzing, according to the plurality of data packets returned by the one or more external sensors and the data collected by the built-in sensor, a flight state of the aerial vehicle. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the data returned from the built-in sensor include attitude data; and 
 generating the one or more time stamps includes generating the one or more time stamps in response to a condition of synchronization being satisfied. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the controller actively initiates a clock synchronization on the data collected by a corresponding external sensor in response to an instruction of synchronization being generated; and 
 the time stamp indicating a current clock time is generated in response to an instruction of synchronization being generated by the controller. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the instruction of synchronization is generated and sent to the controller by a control device. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the time stamp represents the current time when the current time is the time clock for data synchronization. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the controller determines whether the current time is the time clock for data synchronization based on a data synchronization cycle preset in the controller. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein sending the instruction information to the one or more sensors external to the aerial vehicle includes sending one or more pulse signals to the one or more external sensors, each of the one or more pulse signals carrying one of the one or more time stamps and directing one of the one or more external sensors to perform data collection. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein sending the one or more pulse signals to the one or more external sensors includes controlling an input and output device of the aerial vehicle to output at least one of the one or more pulse signals to the one or more external sensors. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the one or more external sensors include an image sensor; and 
 the method further comprises, before sending the instruction information to the one or more sensors external to the aerial vehicle:
 determining the one or more external sensors from among a plurality of sensors of the aerial vehicle. 
 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, after receiving the plurality of data packets returned from the one or more external sensors:
 determining clock times represented by the time stamps carried in the plurality of data packets, respectively. 
 
     
     
       11. A data synchronization apparatus for an aerial vehicle, comprising:
 a controller; and 
 a storing medium storing a program that, when executed by the controller, causes the controller to:
 generate, by a controller of the aerial vehicle, one or more time stamps each representing a clock time of the controller; 
 send instruction information to one or more sensors external to the aerial vehicle, the instruction information carrying the one or more time stamps and directing the one or more external sensors to perform data collection, wherein a clock of the one or more external sensors being not synchronized with a clock of the controller; 
 receive a plurality of data packets returned from the one or more external sensors corresponding to a number of first clock times, wherein each of the plurality of data packets carries one of the one or more time stamps and includes data collected at each of the number of first clock times by one of the one or more external sensors in response to the instruction information; 
 obtain data collected by a built-in sensor of the aerial vehicle at a number of second clock times, wherein each second clock time is the same as a corresponding first clock time; and 
 analyze, according to the plurality of data packets returned by the one or more external sensors and the data collected by the built-in sensor, a flight state of the aerial vehicle. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the data returned from the built-in sensor include attitude data; and 
 generating the one or more time stamps includes generating the one or more time stamps in response to a condition of synchronization being satisfied. 
 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the controller actively initiates a clock synchronization on the data collected by a corresponding external sensor in response to an instruction of synchronization being generated; and 
 the time stamp indicating a current clock time is generated in response to an instruction of synchronization being generated by the controller. 
 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the instruction of synchronization is generated and sent to the controller by a control device. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the time stamp represents the current time when the current time is the time clock for data synchronization. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the program further causes the controller to determine whether the current time is the time clock for data synchronization based on a data synchronization cycle preset in the controller. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the program further causes the controller to send pulse signals to the one or more external sensors, each of the one or more pulse signals carrying one of the one or more time stamps and directing one of the one or more external sensors to perform data collection. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the program further causes the controller to control an input and output device of the aerial vehicle to output at least one of the one or more pulse signals to the one or more external sensors. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the one or more external sensors includes an image sensors; and 
 before sending the instruction information to the one or more built-in sensors of the aerial vehicle, the program further causes the controller to:
 determine the one or more external sensors from among a plurality of sensors of the aerial vehicle. 
 
 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein after receiving the plurality of data packets returned from the one or more external sensors, the program further causes the controller to:
 determine clock times represented by the time stamps carried in the plurality of data packets, respectively.